Gazza - the comedy keeper

[Barry Sanchez]

That Leeds game was the best performance I think of the top of my head that I have ever seen from a Saints goalkeeper, Gazzaniga makes one very good reaction save and he all of a sudden deserves his place? I was all for keeping him in place after Boruc but after his gaff's I really am not sure at all whether he is in fact actually a keeper with premiership potential or just a clown with a ****e hairdo.

[hamster]

Can't we fake a training ground accident involving boruc, gazza and kelvin, then recall tommy f?

[Barry Sanchez]

I'd take John Burridge and Neil Moss.

[SFC Chris]

Find it hard to believe that people are writing off Boruc after only one or two appearances. Could he have done better against Spurs? Dunno I wasn't there... but did we really expect him to hit the ground running after being out of action for months?

When he first came in we knew he was a lunatic but that doesn't mean he isn't a top goalkeeper.

 

For me, the club has two choices - either play him or release him. There's no point in hanging an inexperienced young goalkeeper out to dry when he is low on confidence if you have an experienced international goalkeeper sitting doing nothing.

 

There is little doubt in my mind that the Holy Goalie will get the nod on Saturday and will retain his place from hereon in.

 

PS. Gazza will be a good goalkeeper given time and assuming he doesn't loose all confidence by being left in the team when he should be taken out. NA is a smart man and I trust him to do the right thing.

[St_Tel49]

Kelvin has made some great saves for us but I can't think of any that were as good as Gazza's save vs Newcastle.

See references to Leeds above.

[SNSUN]

Is Craig Gordon still clubless? :-D

[Huffton]

Question for all those saying Boruc is so much better than everyone else and should be playing etc etc. How many of you go to Staplewood and watch training every day? Theres a reason he's not even on the bench. Just saying...

[channonball]

Niemi is the only goalkeeper you've been able to ignore since Tim Flowers.

[Glasgow_Saint]

Similar to Guly, Boruc was a "non Nigel" signing. Following "showdown" talks NA is under no pressure to play these guys anymore.

[Glasgow_Saint]

We should have signed McGregor from Rangers when we had a chance.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

We should have signed McGregor from Rangers when we had a chance.

 

Or Forster.

[Village Saint]

Get back in the kitchen Sailor Boy.

 

Gazza is the best of what we have. Kelv is an abomination at this level and Boruc is an embarrassing, fat, unprofessional mess.

 

You are being a bit harsh on Kelvin but certainly Gazza deserves his place at the moment. Blimey one mistake by a young keeper and the knives are out on here.

[tajjuk]

Yet he played so well he wasn't even in the Poland squad for Euro 2012 after Fabianski pulled out in the Summer? That makes him at best the 5th ranked Polish keeper. Don't forget that clean sheets are far easier to come by in Serie A.

 

"He had a price tag of £10million. He was idolised by the Celtic supporters and they nicknamed him ‘The Holy Goalie’.

The following season his form dipped. He put on weight and had off-field problems.

He was fined by the club for a brawl with Aiden McGeady and there was no doubt Boruc took then-manager Gordon Strachan to breaking point on a few occasions.

Strachan sometimes wanted to drop Boruc but there wasn’t sufficient back-up quality to do that.

 

He's not in the Poland squad because he has fallen out with the coach, not because of his quality, Like I said he's a controversial character and doesn't always get on with people but not a reason to write him off.

[Ivan Katalinic's 'tache]

You are being a bit harsh on Kelvin but certainly Gazza deserves his place at the moment. Blimey one mistake by a young keeper and the knives are out on here.

 

I think that's part of the problem, it's not one mistake. It's one in each of our 4 match unbeaten run except Newcastle. I don't believe in slaughtering a young player like some may do but maybe it is time to remove him from the firing line so he doesn't get destroyed completely by further high profile mistakes. Goalkeeping errors almost always give away a goal and, with the Prem so well covered, it's seen by millions too, which increases the pressure.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

He's not in the Poland squad because he has fallen out with the coach, not because of his quality, Like I said he's a controversial character and doesn't always get on with people but not a reason to write him off.

 

It was a reason for people to write Puncheon off though, and he'd done far less than Boruc has in the past. I just can't see that he's a good addition for harmony in the squad, that's all.

 

Also, if you don't count what was written in addtion as unprofessional then I struggle to see what you want from your football players.

[Baldbarbarian]

Can we stop calling him Gazza ? He cheapens the name in a football sense. Although the other Gazza was known as a clown as well, albeit for off the field antics rather than on it

 

what do you propose we call him?. Argie with a rats tail ?

Edited 29 November, 2012 by Baldbarbarian

[COMEONYOUREDS]

You are being a bit harsh on Kelvin but certainly Gazza deserves his place at the moment. Blimey one mistake by a young keeper and the knives are out on here.

 

It's not 1 mistake though is it? Its 3 in 4 games, which have cost us 3 goals, the only 3 goals we've conceded in that time. Which coincidentally has directly cost us 4 points.

 

He's had his chance and he isn't up to it, maybe he will be one day. But for now, we can't afford to play a keeper who has that many mistakes in him. Back in 2005 if we'd had 2 more points we'd have stayed up, it could well be that close again this year. He's cost us 4 points in 4 games.

 

Boruc or Kelvin back vs Liverpool please.

[jjsaint]

He will be a good keeper one day methinks but he should 'learn his trade' in the ressies and cups, not in the toughest league in the world!

 

Mind you I don't think Davis or the Holy Goalie are any better, so maybe stick with him for consistency's sake?!?

 

Bascially we'll have to ride it out unto January, when we may be lucky enough to land someone of Prem standard. Spurs have four keepers of at least reasonable standard, surely they shouldn't be so selfish? (Ok Gomes is a bit iffy but probably better than what we've got)

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Similar to Guly, Boruc was a "non Nigel" signing. Following "showdown" talks NA is under no pressure to play these guys anymore.

 

Is this insider knowledge or speculation?

[Bad Wolf]

He'll be a very good keeper one day. But he's not ready yet.

[Chez]

Is this insider knowledge or speculation?

 

or bull****?

[Turkish]

Let's be honest, goalkeeper was another position we balls up in during the summer wasn't it.

[Tom & Gerry]

We can all say which keeper we prefer but let's face it all of them are struggling at this level. Dave Merrington was saying we should go for an experienced goalkeeper at Anfield but the only experience Davis has in this league is bad experience and Boruc has no experience - Scottish and Italian football are no comparison for a keeper. Up till now I've backed Gazza but the only defence I've got for him now is that he only makes 1 howler a game the others make more, and that's not a great defence.

Good luck Nigel.

[Saints foreva]

****ing hell, he gave one of the greatest goalkeeping performance I've seen in 40+ years of watching Saints. That game at Leeds wasn't that long ago. Had Gazza been playing instead it would have been about 14-1

 

The person I quoted was going on about individual saves you tart. I'm well aware of his performance vs Leeds and it's probably the best goalkeeping display I've seen in my lifetime.

 

Anyway, despite his performance at Leeds - Davis is still a **** poor keeper at this level. He proved that at Sunderland. Goalkeeper was another position which needed massive improvement in the Summer. We needed a new number 1, but failed to do anything about it.

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

Let's be honest, goalkeeper was another position we balls up in during the summer wasn't it.

 

Most people seem to think the Transfer Committee did well I thought. Especially when the other day I asked if people would change who we bought in the Summer, most people seemed happy.

[Lord Duckhunter]

He'll be a very good keeper one day.

 

Based on what , one save against Newcastle?

 

I've yet to see anything that indicates this.

[Rasiak-9-]

I don't know where your chest is mate but mine is definitely not at bollock level, which is where that pass was hit to Yoshida.

 

Take it on his chest. Brilliant.

 

You spin round, take two or three steps forward and control the ball on your chest instead of standing still and letting it bounce up to bollock level as you put it. You don't let it bounce and you don't take chances.

 

Hope that explanation helps your understanding.

[Bearsy]

Based on what , one save against Newcastle?

 

I've yet to see anything that indicates this.

 

Nigel Adkins said so. I was reading it earlier, "big future" Adkins was saying. Also Martin Allen said he looks like Peter Andre.

[Turkish]

Most people seem to think the Transfer Committee did well I thought. Especially when the other day I asked if people would change who we bought in the Summer, most people seemed happy.

 

You should know by now that the two wins against the bottom side and one beset by injuries and bad form has turned us from a side doomed to one that is probably going to qualify for Europe this season. Ask again if we lose on saturday and you'll get a very different answer.

 

Massive tsk.

[The Kraken]

Most people seem to think the Transfer Committee did well I thought. Especially when the other day I asked if people would change who we bought in the Summer, most people seemed happy.

 

There's two different ways to look at it, really.

 

1) Were the players we brought in ok? For the most part you'd have to say yes, apart from fatty Boruc, so far there's a case to be made for all of them. Clyne, Yoshida and Davis all look (to differing extents) reasonable acquisitions for little outlay, Gazzaniga is a young and cheap prospect, Ramirez is utterly quality (as he should be for his £12M price tag), Rodriguez was very expensive but is still a prospect and potential replacement for Lambert, and Mayuka is a replacement for Billy Sharp plus being a different pacy option up front or wide.

 

2) Did the transfer summer adequately plug the gaps in the squad? No. We still don't have a decent keeper, there are still question marks over at least one or two of the centre backs, we're totally reliant on a 17 year old at left back, and more than £10M of the talent brought in over the summer sits on the bench most weeks.

 

So did they do well? Its a bit of yes and a lot of no.

[Dig Dig]

There's two different ways to look at it, really.

 

1) Were the players we brought in ok? For the most part you'd have to say yes, apart from fatty Boruc, so far there's a case to be made for all of them. Clyne, Yoshida and Davis all look (to differing extents) reasonable acquisitions for little outlay, Gazzaniga is a young and cheap prospect, Ramirez is utterly quality (as he should be for his £12M price tag), Rodriguez was very expensive but is still a prospect and potential replacement for Lambert, and Mayuka is a replacement for Billy Sharp plus being a different pacy option up front or wide.

 

2) Did the transfer summer adequately plug the gaps in the squad? No. We still don't have a decent keeper, there are still question marks over at least one or two of the centre backs, we're totally reliant on a 17 year old at left back, and more than £10M of the talent brought in over the summer sits on the bench most weeks.

 

So did they do well? Its a bit of yes and a lot of no.

 

This is a decent summary I'd say. However I would say that Clyne is more than a reasonable acquisition. He's just behind Gaston for me for signing of the summer

[The Kraken]

This is a decent summary I'd say. However I would say that Clyne is more than a reasonable acquisition. He's just behind Gaston for me for signing of the summer

 

I did try to quantify it by saying that they were reasonable to differing extents but, yes, fair point. So far he does seem to be a real snip, and a proper touch of class.

[shurlock]

There's two different ways to look at it, really.

 

1) Were the players we brought in ok? For the most part you'd have to say yes, apart from fatty Boruc, so far there's a case to be made for all of them. Clyne, Yoshida and Davis all look (to differing extents) reasonable acquisitions for little outlay, Gazzaniga is a young and cheap prospect, Ramirez is utterly quality (as he should be for his £12M price tag), Rodriguez was very expensive but is still a prospect and potential replacement for Lambert, and Mayuka is a replacement for Billy Sharp plus being a different pacy option up front or wide.

 

2) Did the transfer summer adequately plug the gaps in the squad? No. We still don't have a decent keeper, there are still question marks over at least one or two of the centre backs, we're totally reliant on a 17 year old at left back, and more than £10M of the talent brought in over the summer sits on the bench most weeks.

 

So did they do well? Its a bit of yes and a lot of no.

 

Agree with this. I guess the question is that as we bought into 'potential', how quickly the club expected to see a return on its investment? Thus it is a slight surprise that Shaw has fitted into the team more comfortably than some of our higher profile acquisitions.

[Mr X]

Worrying worrying interview with Adkins just been on Solent basically he said he needs to continue making mistakes to learn and that Adkins thinks he will turn out to be a world class goalie he will start the Liverpool game also

[Dig Dig]

Worrying worrying interview with Adkins just been on Solent basically he said he needs to continue making mistakes to learn and that Adkins thinks he will turn out to be a world class goalie he will start the Liverpool game also

 

he didn't say he needs to continue making mistakes. He said we needs to learn from them and STOP making mistakes.

[supersonic]

I remember saying after the Sheff Weds game I didn't think PG was good enough yet for the Saints team, and I've been proven right. Last night was shocking, and not just the goal. His distribution was poor, and Nick Clegg is has more command than he does.

 

I was sat directly behind him when they had the free kick and the gentleman next to me said "they're going to score this, look at the room he's given them" and they did. You can't even say it was a decently hit shot, it was **** poor. Yet again he's cost us points at home, and those 4 points could be the difference between us surviving and going down.

 

He clearly has potential, and will become a decent keeper one day, but he isn't good enough to be playing PL level at the moment, a spell out on loan is what is needed I think.

 

Yes, he's young, and yes he's still learning, but that's no excuse for last night. One of the first rules goalkeepers are taught is to get your hands under the ball and your body behind it.

 

Boruc made a half-mistake in the spurs 2nd goal (was more defences fault than his) but yet he got abused, and still is getting abuse from "fans, yet Gazzaniga has made 3 shockers in the last 4 games and still gets support. Double Standards?

[The Kraken]

he didn't say he needs to continue making mistakes. He said we needs to learn from them and STOP making mistakes.

 

To be pedantic, he actually said he needs to stop making the same mistakes.

[Bearsy]

No krakpot that would be accusing G-Nigga of making the same mistakes. Adkins didn't say that all he said was it would be bad if he did. But not that he had already. Or something. You feel me? I'm trying to join in with the pedantry but it ain't my specialty.

[david in sweden]

It's not 1 mistake though is it? Its 3 in 4 games, which have cost us 3 goals, the only 3 goals we've conceded in that time. Which coincidentally has directly cost us 4 points.

 

He's had his chance and he isn't up to it, maybe he will be one day. But for now, we can't afford to play a keeper who has that many mistakes in him. Back in 2005 if we'd had 2 more points we'd have stayed up, it could well be that close again this year. He's cost us 4 points in 4 games.

 

Boruc or Kelvin back vs Liverpool please.

 

 

+1 Promising -YES . Needs games -YES.... but he's not suitablefor the Prem.at present. He shows poor positioning and his kick outs are appauling!

 

He will come good, but if he makes another blooper like the Norwich game his confidence will be shot and the fans will be on his back.

 

We need an experienced goalie there at the moment. KD or Boruc on Saturday please.

[The Kraken]

No krakpot that would be accusing G-Nigga of making the same mistakes. Adkins didn't say that all he said was it would be bad if he did. But not that he had already. Or something. You feel me? I'm trying to join in with the pedantry but it ain't my specialty.

 

I haven't got a clue what you're on about, Bear dude. But then I've been drinking wine tonight, so its probably me that's not making sense. I just don't know.

[Bearsy]

yeah i dunno really i just wanted to try out your new nickname "krakpot". I'm worried you need to post some more outlandish theories tho or it won't catch on. How do you feel bout playing G-Nigga as defensive midfielder?

[Greenridge]

I haven't read all 4 pages, actually I haven't read any of it. At this point in time he is not good enough, he may be in the future but he isn't now and we can't afford for him to learn his trade in the Premiership.

 

What's the qualifying criteria to get an 'emergency loan' keep a la Casey Keller? I take it we have to be suffering from injuries rather than lack of ability? That leaves us with finding some kind of stop-gap till January.

[The Kraken]

yeah i dunno really i just wanted to try out your new nickname "krakpot". I'm worried you need to post some more outlandish theories tho or it won't catch on. How do you feel bout playing G-Nigga as defensive midfielder?

I prefer him up front. I keep hearing some wacky new football talk about a position called "the false nine". Sounds like a load of pretentious bullsh*t to me. I reckon GNig could be our revolutionary NotFalseButRealNine.

 

Is that outlandish enough?

[Bearsy]

Another outlandish theory from our resident krakpot

[Dibden Purlieu Saint]

he didn't say he needs to continue making mistakes. He said we needs to learn from them and STOP making mistakes.

 

So he's going to be starting again is he? *sigh*

[The Kraken]

Another outlandish theory from our resident krakpot

 

Skillz.

 

Dan Seaborne should also play as a defensive midfielder. Or defensive shield. F*ck it, I don't know this one. Derry invented it, ask that other nutcase Dig Dig, he knows how it works.

[Wade Garrett]

He'll be a very good keeper one day. But he's not ready yet.

 

I can't see it. His handling is poor, he spills everything and doesn't get his body behind the ball.

[Dig Dig]

Skillz.

 

Dan Seaborne should also play as a defensive midfielder. Or defensive shield. F*ck it, I don't know this one. Derry invented it, ask that other nutcase Dig Dig, he knows how it works.

 

True, that smack head Derry wanted to play Dan Seaborne as a "front sweeper", crabbing from left to right with only 2 midfielders and three strikers to cure our ills.

[The Kraken]

That's it, Front Sweeper.

 

Get that on board right now, Nige. But, hang on. We need to get "Seabs" back from Charlton first; he's the only man that can do it. Unless we bring big Radhi out of retirement, of course, which should never be discounted.

[modern matron]

He will be a good keeper one day methinks but he should 'learn his trade' in the ressies and cups, not in the toughest league in the world!

 

Mind you I don't think Davis or the Holy Goalie are any better, so maybe stick with him for consistency's sake?!?

 

Bascially we'll have to ride it out unto January, when we may be lucky enough to land someone of Prem standard. Spurs have four keepers of at least reasonable standard, surely they shouldn't be so selfish? (Ok Gomes is a bit iffy but probably better than what we've got)

 

Come on he's nowhere near being a premier league keeper yet. He's made key errors in 3 of the last 4 games plus he looks nervous and unsure the rest of the time. Bring back Kelvin until we buy a replacement in...